The Renaissance saw the musical shackles of the Medieval Period being broken, and both secular and sacred music became livelier and more expressive, and through the developments of printed music, more widely available. Browse our sheet music and scores, and pick up a mass or a madrigal today!
The driving force of the Renaissance was humanism (from the Latin “hummanus” or human), the dogmas of the church were overturned by science, and art was inspired by antiquity and a new, harmonious worldview. Vocal polyphony was very much at the forefront of Renaissance music, and a desire for perfect form, and rational, logical sophistication emerged. In church music, the cyclic form of the Mass, Kyrie, Gloria, Credo, Sanctus, Agnus Dei was still widely deployed, and musical settings of Motets, Litanies, Psalms and Magnificat & Nunc Dimittis broadened the congregation’s musical experience. Secular vocal music also developed through the madrigals, and polyphonic and unison songs.
In contrast to the Medieval Period, the Renaissance began with a new design principle, imitation. A short, lively theme moves from voice to voice, and the composer creates a counter-melody to compliment it. Elements from the Medieval however were still present, and the “cantus firmus” or fixed chant was often a device of choice in the Renaissance. The cantus firmus takes a theme from Gregorian Chant or Folk Music, but the composer uses augmentation, elongates the note values, and uses the cantus firmus as the harmonic basis for this polyphonic work. From here, the canon soon evolved, which was the clear precursor to the baroque fugue.
The Renaissance marked a big step in the development of instrumental music, and a significant move towards independence for solo instruments, and chamber groups. Traditionally instruments were used as accompaniment for choir or solo singing or for dance music, but through the Renaissance Period, pure instrumental solo or ensemble music became more and more popular. In particular, Renaissance Organ Music experienced a great boom due to the technical development of the instrument, and it was during the 16th century that more vocal instrumental music started emerging, and the first works featuring basso continuo were written.
for: Harpsichord [organ]
Music score
Item no.: 694476
Complete Guitar Works - Urtext for Guitar Volume 1
New Revised Edition
for: Guitar
Music score
Item no.: 682558
for: VL (OB/FL) POS (VC/FAG/VDG) BC (+ KB)
Score
Item no.: 297786
for: Choral
Item no.: 1374786
for: Voice, guitar [lute]
Score
Item no.: 248181
Pieces from the 16th to the 18th Century
New Edition in one volume
for: Treble recorder
Music score (anthology)
Item no.: 351620
Die Tabulatur 8
Ausgewählte Werke in ihrer Originalnotation mit Übertragungen für Laute und Gitarre
for: Lute [guitar]
Music score (with TABs)
Item no.: 338621
for five instruments
Thesaurus Musicus 32
for: Flexible ensemble (5 voices)
5 playing scores
Item no.: 292156
for: Mixed choir (SATB), piano
Score
Item no.: 898013
for: 2 recorders (ST)
Ensemble score (pdf download)
Item no.: 6372
for: 2 recorders (AT)
Ensemble score (pdf download)
Item no.: 6349
for: 4 recorders (SATB quartet)
Score, parts (pdf download)
Item no.: 3412
for: Mixed choir (SSATB); basso continuo ad lib.
Score, part (pdf download)
Item no.: 2978
for: Organ [harpsichord]
Sheet music
Item no.: 5272
for: 2 violins [recorders/cornets], basso continuo
Score, parts (pdf download)
Item no.: 4654
for: 2 melodic instruments
Score
Item no.: 462312
for: Trumpet, trombone, organ
Score, Parts
Item no.: 418002
for: Women's choir (SSA), piano
Einzelstimme
Item no.: 915914
for: 5 recorders (SAATB)
Score, parts (pdf download)
Item no.: 3064
for: Guitar [lute]
Music score
Item no.: 260498
for: 5 recorders (SATTB)
Ensemble score
Item no.: 182048
for: 4 cellos
Score, Parts
Item no.: 464492
for: Voice, guitar [lute]
Music score
Item no.: 142178
for: 2 voices (medium), organ [piano]
Music score
Item no.: 385262
for: Organ
Organ score, Piano score
Item no.: 378931
for: Organ manuals [harpsichord/piano]
Spielpartitur, Sammelband, Urtextausgabe
Item no.: 558804
for: Organ manuals [harpsichord/piano]
4 music scores (Urtext)
Item no.: 582227
for: 5 recorders (SSATB)
Ensemble score
Item no.: 355345
for: 5 recorders (SAATB)
Ensemble score
Item no.: 355333
for: Guitar
Music score
Item no.: 112924
for: Descant (soprano) recorder, basso continuo
Piano score, solo part
Item no.: 765665
for: Guitar
Music score
Item no.: 113376
for: 2 recorders
Ensemble score
Item no.: 414040
for: Voice (high), basso continuo
Score
Item no.: 281997
for: Brass ensemble (5 parts)
Score (C), Parts
Item no.: 279933
Masters of the North German School for Organ 36
111 four-part Chorale Settings for Organ or Keyboard
for: Organ manuals [piano]
Music score (anthology)
Item no.: 638839
for: 5 recorders (SAATB)
Ensemble score
Item no.: 740600
for: Voice (mezzo-soprano/baritone), 2 violins [2 recorders]
Score, Parts
Item no.: 633042
für (Mezzo-)Sopran und B.c. (komplett) (complete)
for: GES-M BC
Score, Parts
Item no.: 278583
for: Mixed choir (SATB) a cappella
Choir score
Item no.: 1012925
for: Trumpet, organ
Item no.: 460699
Die Tabulatur 12
Ausgewählte Werke in ihrer Originalnotation mit Übertragungen für Laute und Gitarre
for: Lute [guitar/piano]
Music score (with TABs)
Item no.: 214826
9 Praeludien und 5 Toccaten
for: Organ
Music score
Item no.: 228030
for: Organ
Score
Item no.: 240003
for: Organ
Music score
Item no.: 656726
Variations
for: Descant recorder
Music score
Item no.: 754238
in freier Neugestaltung
for: Alt und Orchester
Piano reduction
Item no.: 741264
for: Mixed choir (SSB), basso continuo [organ]
Score
Item no.: 5308
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